


Gifting on A Whim

by xx_Katastrophe



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, GabeNath Covert Cupid, LMAO, Post Miracle Queen, gabriel agreste is extra, sick!Nathalie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29269830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xx_Katastrophe/pseuds/xx_Katastrophe
Summary: Nearly forgetting Valentine's Day, Gabriel decides to give a sick Nathalie a Valentine's Day present.
Relationships: Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 18
Kudos: 30
Collections: GabeNath Covert Cupid 2021





	Gifting on A Whim

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ayumuchinnn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayumuchinnn/gifts).



> This story was written for the GabeNath Covert Cupid Event, as a gift for Ayumuchinnn. Happy Valentine's Day, hope you enjoy it!

Empty. 

Gabriel looked over from his podium computer to the empty desk in the corner of the room. It’s been a few weeks since his master plan failed, Master Fu gave up guardianship of the miracle box, where he was so close to finally winning and having his wife back. Even getting the tablet with the grimoire pages inside couldn’t make up for the fact that Nathalie was in worse shape than before. So much so, that he made her go on bedrest, much to her protesting and insistence that she could work just fine. He really screwed things up this time. Eventually he compromised with her, and allowed her to work from her bed, which she agreed to. In return, he promised to care for her to the best of his ability. However, he fretted he would be unable to live up to it, just like his promise to Emilie. Even though Nathalie was just a few feet away upstairs, he simply felt lonely without her presence in this room. 

Looking at the corner of his computer, he saw what day it was- February 14th. It was Valentine's Day, and he completely forgot. How could he forget such a day? He would normally give Emilie a dozen red roses. His mind must have been too preoccupied by other things… However, he figured that maybe the roses for her could wait. Emilie wouldn’t notice if her roses came a day or two late… right? Valentine's Day was a day to show love to those you care about- spouses, children, friends, and family. It dawned on him- he should get Nathalie a present this year. There were not enough words in the world to thank her for all she’s done for him, and for Adrien. She had nearly died trying to help him to get those miraculous. He wasn’t sure how he could live with himself if she hadn’t made it. Now, it was time to express his gratitude and apologize to her for what felt like the thousandth time. 

She had insisted that it was fine, no big deal, and that she was just doing her job, but even he knew that this was far beyond the line of duty. On his computer, he saved his work, closed out of his drawing program, and pulled up the web browser. He tapped his chin and thought,  _ “What would Nathalie enjoy?” _

He recalled that she was an avid reader. He searched for a bookstore website, and decided to browse. Was she more of a romance reader, or would she prefer a good mystery? And what hasn’t she read? A good portion of the books in Adrien’s bedroom were books she’s read previously. He figured he may lean towards the mystery side of the books. After all, she could work to solve the book’s mystery before she finishes, as she usually does. He’d have to go out and get the gift himself, as he wouldn’t be able to have it delivered. He cringed at the thought of having to go into a store and actually purchase things on his own, however, he figured that if she would be smiling, it would be worth it… though he couldn’t just get her a book. That’s not enough, no. He needs something else… like a nice piece of jewelry. He hurriedly inputted his favorite jewelry website. He browsed the selections, and found that most of this stuff didn’t suit Nathalie’s style… that is, until he saw a beautiful ring. It was an initials ring, the cursive font leading to an elegant design- it was perfect. There was just one problem… he didn’t know middle name. He pulled out his phone, and dialed Nathalie. 

As she was working on looking at more of the grimoire, she heard her phone ring. It was Gabriel. He usually doesn’t call at this time, but perhaps something important came up. She answered. “Hello?” 

He drummed his fingers on the top of his monitor. “Nathalie, what’s your middle name?” 

She raised a brow. “...I have two, actually. Why do you ask?” 

“What are they, then?”

“Irene, and Lisette. Again, why do you ask?” 

“No reason. I’ll see in a few hours.” He replied, as he hung up. Nathalie stared at her phone screen for a few moments, bewildered by the conversation she had just had. She didn’t think too much of it, and put her phone back down as she returned to work. 

Gabriel made a note of that on his phone. He still didn’t think that was enough, so he figured perhaps some sort of treat would work. He knows she enjoys a good glass of wine, however, maybe giving her that isn’t the best due to her fragile condition. Why not stop by the local patissiere? He was sure that Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng would have an idea of what to get her-- they were experts, or at least they were far more knowledgeable about picking out the right treat than he was. He had to go out and get those gifts, now… but the last thing he wanted was to be spotted out in public, much less out in public buying another woman a Valentine's Day present. They just wouldn’t understand. After pondering his options, he decided to change up his appearance in an attempt to not be recognized. 

“Ah, but what do I even wear…?” He asked himself, as he suddenly had a perfect idea in mind. He put his computer away, before heading upstairs to his bedroom. When he got to his bedroom, he headed into his closet to look for his outfit choices. He had quite a few pairs of his signature red pants… so he decided to grab the one lone blue pair he had left. While looking through his shirts, he pulled out a black collared shirt. He decided to forgo the jacket. Now realizing he’d look rather ridiculous with his white shoes in this outfit, he opted for the black ones. After hastily changing his entire outfit, he realized he’d probably have to fix his hair. Buttoning one last button on his shirt, he headed into the bathroom. With his right hand, he reached for his hair, his mind and body yelling at him to stop. He quickly messed up his hair, causing it to fall more and be less stiff. Opening the top drawer, he fumbled around for the spare pair of glasses. They were probably a little out of date in terms of prescription strength, but he figured he could suck it up for a while.

He blew the dust off the black faux-leather case before opening it. He wrinkled his nose at his old pair of glasses. Oversized, clear plastic and aviator style- what was he thinking? He pulled his current glasses off his face, and put on the older pair. He blinked as his eyes tried to adjust. “Good lord…” He grumbled as he put his hands to his face as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Once it passed, he looked at himself in the mirror. He hardly recognized himself- not like he could see himself clearly anyway. He was ready to go now. He pulled out his phone, and alerted the chauffeur that he needed a ride. He decided to wait in the foyer. When he stepped off the last step, the front door opened. Adrien had just got home from school, and was confused why a strange man was waiting in the foyer of his house. Maybe he was lost. 

“Excuse me sir… do you need help?” Adrien asked. 

Gabriel looked up from his phone. “What? Adrien, it’s your father.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Father.” Adrien apologized, now feeling remarkably embarrassed. “But um… why are you dressed like that?” 

“I figured I could use a change of pace.” Gabriel replied calmly. The chauffeur indicated he was ready, so he walked towards the door. However, he also ran into one of the potted plants. Adrien winced. 

“Are you sure you can see with those glasses, Father?” 

“Yes, I can see just fine. Now please, just go practice your piano. Your tutor will be here soon.” Gabriel replied, getting it right and finally opening the front door. Adrien watched, baffled and indifferent, and headed to his room. 

Gabriel entered the car, hitting his head on the doorframe as well. He was suddenly regretting not getting those contacts. He requested a ride to the jewelry store in the heart of the city. The driver nodded, as he took off for the jewelry store. On the ride there, Gabriel made sure that he had enough cash in his wallet. A few thousand euros would suffice- especially at the jewelers, which he was sure to make sure to bring extra. He had a feeling he’d need it to make sure that he’d get his order done in just minutes instead of days. Content with the contents of his wallet, he put it in his back pocket. To try and feign off the headache that he felt creeping up, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat. He was able to get a few minutes of rest, so when the car stopped, he quickly exited as the car pulled off to find a parking spot. No one was immediately pestering him for autographs, so that was a plus. He entered the shop and immediately went over to the counter. 

“Hello, welcome. What can I do for you, sir?” The young woman at the counter greeted him.

Gabriel smiled. “I’d like to get a custom initials ring- you know, the one with all the cursive letters twisted into a ring design.” 

She nodded. “Of course, sir.” She handed him a form and a pen. He began to fill it out. “When will you need this by?” 

“Can I have it done in just a few hours?” 

The woman frowned. “I don’t know, sir… we have people ahead of you, and it takes a bit to make…” 

After he filled out the form, his eyes darted around. He reached into his back pocket and took out 3000 euros. “Not even for this?” 

Her eyes widened, and then looked around. She nodded. “Alright, I’ll get to work right away. Come back in 90 minutes, okay?” 

He was relieved she took her offer. He slid the money, and placed an almost exclusive coupon for 20% off any item at the Gabriel flagship store, or online. “Thank you, miss. I’ll be back.” He turned away, and exited the shop. Before the young woman began to work, she realized that it was Gabriel Agreste himself who just gave her that coupon, and all that money. She squealed in excitement and awe, but stashed the coupon in her pocket, and began to work. 

As Gabriel got into his car, he sighed and told the driver to take him a few blocks away, to the bookstore. He hoped he had more of those 20% off slips- he was feeling generous today, and he wasn’t entirely sure why. As the car pulled up to the front of the book store, he was pleased to realize that he found himself at the largest bookstore in the city. Perfect. He could find a whole myriad of books for Nathalie to read. He exited the car, and headed inside. Once inside, he looked up, realizing that he certainly had a lot of ground to cover- three whole floors of books. “Jesus, you’d need a map to navigate this place…” He mumbled to himself, as he embarked on his quest. 

He proceeded to his right, at the romance novels. Maybe he heard incorrectly, but Nathalie had just finished one of those, and the second book just came out. What was it called? An extra challenge would be trying to find the book solely by cover color, as he was unable to read the small text on the spines. He spotted a red book and squatted to look at it. He squinted, and it turns out this was the book she had just finished. And right next to it, in blue, the sequel. Perfect. He grabbed it, and tucked it under his arm. He stood upright again, and made his way over to the next section… the mystery novels. He could already tell he was going to have a field day. His eyes scanned the bookcases, shelf by shelf. His attention was caught by one with a mauve color. He reached for it, and remarked, “you don’t see books in this color… ever.” He lifted his glasses up and began to read the synopsis printed on the back. Determining that this seems like Nathalie’s cup of tea, he decided he’d buy it as well. Caught off guard by his pocket vibrating, he paused, and answered the phone. It was Nathalie. He had an uneasy feeling- what if she needed something urgently and he wasn’t there? He quickly answered, “Hello?”

“Hello Gabriel… Adrien told me he saw you leaving. Where did you go?” 

“Um… I… went out. To get some fresh air.” He lied. Really? Fresh air? Come on, Agreste, you could have done better than that. 

Nathalie was immediately suspicious, but also slightly agitated by his vague answers. “Fresh air, huh? Okay, well… When can I expect you to come back? You’re scheduled to eat dinner with your son tonight as well.” 

He looked at his watch. “Soon…?” 

“And how long is soon?”

“Before dinner.” 

“...Okay, that is not helpful, but I’ll take your word for it. See you then.” 

“Alright, goodbye.” He replied, and hung up his phone. He was relieved that she didn’t immediately need it, but felt slightly guilty for lying about what he was doing. It would all be worth it, at the very least. He decided to expedite his walkthrough of the first floor, and by the time he was done, he already had five books, two romance novels and three mysteries. He contemplated even going up to the remaining floors. He had only killed about 20 minutes out of 90. So, he climbed up the stairs. Once he reached the top step, he looked around. This seemed to be mostly nonfiction books, with the graphic novels section as well. Knowing very well that graphic novels were not her thing, he skipped over them, for now. He made his way to the language section, and wondered what kind of language Nathalie would be interested in. 

He remembered something about how she had some family that lived in Russia… or was it Poland? Maybe he should ask. No, he couldn’t, it would be far too weird. He was pretty sure it was Poland now that he remembered. He began to look for some Polish language books. She always complains how she could never talk to her mother’s side of the family, since they pretty much only speak Polish and she knew next to nothing about the language. He grabbed two books- a Polish for beginners, and translation dictionary. Now, he supposed maybe he shouldn’t leave out Adrien. He liked those graphic novels… he’d get him one of those. He walked back towards the stairs, and entered the graphic novel section. He wasn’t entirely sure what type of books his son would enjoy… so he would just have to make an educated guess. He grabbed one randomly. It had a girl in a white shirt and a navy skirt, and a man in a tux. This would do- so he added it to the collection he had going. At this point, he was struggling to carry all the books, so maybe now was a good time to check out. 

He bounded down the stairs, leaning against the railing so that he wouldn’t fall. Of course people were staring at him- probably because he looked like an oaf trying to carry all these books at once. He made it to the counter, and with a sigh, placed all the books down on it. The young man greeted him, “Did you find everything alright, sir?” 

“Yes, thank you…” Gabriel replied, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. 

“Are all these books for your wife?” 

“Yes-- I mean, no--” He blushed. “ I mean, these are for my assistant. And the graphic novel is for my son.” 

The young man at the counter seemed rather puzzled, as he continued to scan the books. Who buys this many books for their employee? After bagging the transaction, Gabriel handed the young man the correct amount of cash. He took another coupon out of his wallet, and they exchanged goods- Gabriel got his books, and the young man got the coupon. 

“Oh my god… Monsieur Agreste?” 

Gabriel put a finger to his lips, a signal for the book store employee to keep quiet. 

Catching on, the employee nodded, neatly tucking the slip of paper into his pocket. “Thank you, Monsieur.” 

“You’re welcome. Enjoy your day, young man.” Gabriel smiled at him, taking his books and stepping outside. Checking the time, he was slightly disappointed that he’d have to wait another 45 minutes for the ring to be ready. What could he even do to kill the time? He looked up and down the street. He wasn’t ready to go to Tom and Sabine’s quite yet... so, he just walked down the sidewalk. On a whim, he decided to pop into the cell phone store- no reason in particular, just to browse. He heard good things about the newest model, released just a few months ago, so why not check it out to see if it was worth it? After going into the store and testing out the phone for himself, he realized he would have to upgrade sometime in the future. Heck, why not upgrade Adrien, and Nathalie, and the Gorilla as well? He didn’t have the time today, but he made a mental note to talk about it in the coming days. He exited the shop, and then checked his watch again. Only 30 minutes left… but what should he do now? 

His phone rang again, and he was relieved to discover that it wasn’t Nathalie this time, but rather, the chauffeur, who was asking where he was. Gabriel told him to just wait a few more minutes, and he’d be ready in just a few moments. After hanging up, he put his phone away, and then entered the department store on the corner. He certainly wouldn’t be buying anything, but he could at least go and see his competitors’ designs, and scoff. That’s precisely what he did. He perused the men’s department, and found his big competitors’ section. He looked through the ties, and scoffed. “Oh, Michael… I think you’re starting to run out of good ideas for your ties… Please, I could have done this with my eyes closed.” He snidely remarked. He continued to browse, and continued to make catty remarks about his competition. He had nothing to worry about at this rate, he was sure. 

Once he had finished making snarky comments about his competitors, he decided that he should probably go back to the jeweler. He hastily exited the department store, and called for the chauffeur, who promptly pulled up to the street corner. He jumped into the car, and set his bag of books on the seat. He relaxed, but weirdly enough, was beginning to feel sore. Was he getting old, or did he over exert himself with all those books in the bookstore? He’d never know. The chauffeur took him back to the jeweler, and they arrived, just in time. Gabriel got out of the vehicle, entering the store with a bit of excitement. The woman at the counter turned around and smiled. “Ah, welcome back! Just in time, your order is ready, sir.” She smiled at him, as she reached for a ring box. She also grabbed the ring from the cooling station, and placed it in the box. She showed it to him. “Well, what do you think, Monsieur Agreste?” 

Gabriel admired the ring- N, I, L, and S, all in a beautiful script and the letters perfectly twined together to make a ring. “It’s perfect. Thank you very much, young lady. Have a great day.” He said, as he took the ring, and put it in his pocket. When he returned to the car, he told the chauffeur he’d like to make one last stop at Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie et Pâtisserie. The chauffeur nodded, and proceeded to the final stop. Once arrived, Gabriel exited, and headed inside, and was delighted with the scent of fresh pastries. 

“Welcome to Tom and Sabine’s, what can I get for you tod-- Monsieur Agreste, is that you?” Sabine asked. 

He didn’t think he could fool everyone. At least there was no one else here at the moment. “Ah, yes, it is… now Madame Cheng, what would you recommend that I pick for my assistant? I would like to get her something for the holiday.” 

“Oh! Are you planning to ask her out?” Tom asked while rolling out his pastry dough. 

“Tom!” Sabine chastised her husband. 

Gabriel blushed again. Why does everyone think that he and Nathalie are romantically involved? Rumors certainly spread quickly… he assumed that Adrien was behind this, after all, he was friends with their daughter. “Uh… well, no. But, I did want to give her something special. She has been rather ill recently.” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Well, I know that Nathalie’s quite a fan of our petit fours and eclairs. I could recommend that.” 

“That sounds perfect. I’ll take one of each petit-four you offer, and two eclairs.” He said. 

She nodded, as she grabbed a box, and began to pack up his order. As Gabriel was just about to pay, Marinette came crashing into the bakery. It seemed like she had something in her hand. 

“WAIT!” She yelled, as she picked herself up off the floor. Sabine watched her daughter run to Gabriel. 

“Marinette sweetie, please be careful and take your time… what is it?” 

As Marinette stopped in front of Gabriel, her face flushed. “E-excuse me, Monsieur Agreste… would you um… Give this to Adrien for me?” She asked, handing him a heart shaped note. It seemed like the young girl wrote his son a valentine. How thoughtful. 

“Yes, of course.” He said, taking the heart shaped note and tucking it under the string of the pastry box, so it wouldn’t get lost. 

“And don’t tell him it’s from me!” She added, her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red. 

He nodded, as he made his payment. Along with that, he slipped another coupon in, which Sabine graciously thanked him for. He nodded, and headed to the door. The Dupain-Chengs waved goodbye to him, as Gabriel was finally on his way home. It dawned on him that he hadn’t wrapped any of these presents, nor did he have the time to do so. He supposed he could just present them to her as is. He was starting to feel a bit anxious. Hopefully she wouldn’t find this weird. As the car pulled up to the front of the mansion, Gabriel realized that his head was pounding. He really was a moron. After gathering his books, and pastries, he headed inside, and trekked up the stairs. He figured he should first stop to give Adrien the book, and the note from Marinette, so he paused at his son’s bedroom door, and knocked. The door opened. 

“Oh, hello Father. Did you need something?” 

Out of breath, Gabriel reached in for the graphic novel, and then, handed the heart shaped note to him. “Happy… Valentine’s Day. The book is from me, and the note is from a secret admirer who asked me to pass the note onto you.” 

Adrien smiled, cheeks flushing. “Thank you, Father…” 

“You’re welcome, son…” He replied, as he began to walk to Nathalie’s room, as Adrien closed his door. With his arms full, he knocked on the door to Nathalie’s room. 

“Come in.” She replied. He entered, trying to balance the pastry box in one hand, and the bag of books in the other. She sat up in bed, smiling at him. “Hello Gabriel… What do you have there?” She asked. 

As he approached her bed, the beeps of her heart monitor grew louder. They were at least strong, and constant, which meant that she was getting stronger. “How are you feeling, Nathalie?” 

“I’m feeling better, thank you… how are you?” She noticed his change in attire and hair. “What’s with the new look? And why are you wearing your old glasses?” She asked, scooting over to make room for him. He sits down on the edge of her bed. 

He sighed. “Well, aside from the massive headache I have from these old glasses, I’m well. Do you know what today is?” 

She looked at her calendar. “It’s February 14th. Did you forget?” 

“What holiday is today?” He then asked. 

“Oh, it’s Valentine’s Day.” She responded. 

“Correct. So, I got you a gift.” He replied, hoisting the bag of books onto the bed beside her, and also placed the box of pastries on her lap. 

She flushed lightly, her heart monitor began to beep slightly quicker. “Gabriel… that’s very thoughtful of you, but why?” 

“Well, I figured that today is the day that you show love for those you care about. And after what you’ve done for me… I had to show you how much I care about you and how grateful I am for you.” 

Nathalie began to look at all the books. “...Did you do this just because you feel guilty, or do you sincerely mean it?” 

“I mean it, 100%.” He responded. As she looked at the books, he began to explain, “I got you the sequel to the book you just finished. I also got you a few new mystery novels, since I know you enjoy those most. Also, I got you some books on learning Polish, since you gripe about not being able to communicate with your mother’s family.” 

“Gabriel… that’s incredibly thoughtful. Thank you.” She smiled at him. 

“Wait, there’s more. That pastry box has your favorites- petits fours and eclairs. Oh, and one more thing…” 

Nathalie didn’t know what to do- she was bright red, and her heart beat faster. “What is it? You were already so generous…” 

He pulled a ring out of his pocket, and opened it. “I got you this ring- it’s your initials.” 

She took the ring out, and slid it on her right ring finger. It was a little big, so she moved it to her middle finger. She admired the silver band around her finger, and looked at him. “It’s perfect, and I love it. Thank you.” She felt herself tear up, as she shuffled over to him, giving him a hug. 

He slowly embraced her. “You’re welcome, Nathalie. Happy Valentine’s Day… now may I lay here and rest my eyes and head?” 

She sighed. “Of course.” 

He kicked off his shoes, and laid down on his back. He removed his glasses, and placed them on the table, next to her heart monitor. He closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. Next to him, Nathalie took one of the small cakes from the box, and popped it into her mouth. “Mm… these are delicious…” She mumbled, as she decided upon a book to start. She went for the sequel of her romance novel, and as she began to read, she noticed he was shifting closer to her. Eventually, she let him rest his head on her lap. Her fingers carded through his hair as she began to read her book. He felt at peace with her fingers playing with his hair, something he would normally never allow. His headache almost immediately went away, and all the troubles he went through were worth it. After some quiet time, Nathalie looked at the clock. “Your dinner with Adrien is happening soon… I advise you to change and perhaps put on your normal glasses.” 

His eyes opened as he looked up at her from her lap. “Mmm, yes, I suppose you’re right. I’ll be sure to have your supper sent here as well, and I’ll come and join you here once I’m finished.” He sat up, and took the glasses from the side table. He was not putting those things on again. He put on his shoes and headed to the door.

“Yes, that sounds well and good, though I had another question.” 

He paused. “Oh? What is it?” 

“I was wondering if I could perhaps come and work with you in the office tomorrow. I’ve been feeling much better recently, and I’ve been awfully lonely in here.” 

He smiled at her as “I thought you’d never ask. Of course. I was… rather lonely myself. I can’t wait to have you back.” 

“And I can’t wait to be back. Now please, go enjoy your dinner.” 

“Thank you. Enjoy yours as well. I’ll see you soon.” 

“Yes, see you soon…” She replied, waving at him as he slowly shut the door. 

Even with his wife gone, this was the best Valentine’s Day he’s had in years. Maybe it was time for him to reconsider who and what is important in his life right now… but that would have to wait until after dinner. 


End file.
